Madison County, Arkansas
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 15,717. The county seat is Huntsville. The county was formed on September 30, 1836, and named for James Madison, President of the United States. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county. Madison County is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.97%) is land and (or 0.03%) is water. Adjacent counties *Carroll County (north) *Newton County (east) *Johnson County (southeast) *Franklin County (south) *Crawford County (southwest) *Washington County (west) *Benton County (northwest) National protected area * Ozark National Forest (part) Transportation Major highways * U.S. Highway 412 * Highway 12 * Highway 16 * Highway 21 * Highway 23 * Highway 45 * Highway 74 Airport The Huntsville Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Huntsville. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 25 August 2011. Demographics data]] As of the census of 2000, there were 14,243 people, 5,463 households, and 4,080 families residing in the county. The population density was 7/km² (17/mi²). There were 6,537 housing units at an average density of 3/km² (8/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.94% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,463 households out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.00% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03. In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,895, and the median income for a family was $32,910. Males had a median income of $24,911 versus $18,786 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,736. About 14.70% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.60% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over. Notable residents *Birthplace of outlaw and lawman John Selman, best known for murdering outlaw John Wesley Hardin in 1895. *Orval E. Faubus (1910–1994), governor of Arkansas during the desegregation days, was from the Combs community near Huntsville. He is buried in Combs Cemetery.http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=930 *Ronnie Hawkins, rockabilly singer. His backing band, The Hawks, later played with Bob Dylan and eventually became The Band. *Ralph Francis Baker (1938–1998), Madison County Sheriff from 1973 until 1998 when his automobile was swept into the White River while crossing a low water bridge, resulting in his drowning death on January 5, 1998.http://www.argenweb.net/madison/joyarticles/ralphbaker.htm Baker was under investigation by the FBI at the time of his death. Real estate ventures http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/1997/oct/19/sheriff-has-knack-bringing-land-profit/ and missing funds from the Madison County Drug Eradication Fund -- along with other allegations -- were more than likely the cause of the federal investigation.http://www.greatdreams.com/political/Arkansas-1973-Investigations.htm *Billie Jean Phillips; murdered in her Madison County home on September 2, 1994.http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/1997/oct/20/who-killed-billie-jean/ The case remains unsolved and is shrouded in mystery. Clint Eugene Phillips was acquitted of her murder in 2003 by a jury trial.http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2003/sep/26/man-acquitted-phillips-killing/ *David McElyea, a longtime resident of the county penned a book titled When Money Grew on Trees: The True Tale of a Marijuana Moonshiner and the Outlaw Sheriff of Madison County, Arkansas. The book is a tale of David's exploits and his relationship with Sheriff Ralph Baker.http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1387098.html In 2009, he committed suicide by slitting his throat in a Fayetteville Walmart Supercenter after being detained for suspicion of shoplifting.http://www.4029tv.com/news/19265387/detail.html Cities and towns *Hindsville *Huntsville *St. Paul Unincorporated communities *Delaney *Kingston *Marble *Clifty *Forum *Weathers *Witter *Japton *Combs *Pettigrew *Wesley *Aurora Townships * Alabam * Bohannan * Boston * Bowen * California * Hilburn (St. Paul) * Japton * Kentucky * Kings River * Lamar * Lincoln * Marble * Mill Creek * Prairie (Hindsville) * Purdy * Richland * Valley * Venus * War Eagle (Huntsville) * Wharton * White River See also * National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, Arkansas References External Links * Madison County Map (US Census Bureau) Category:Counties of Arkansas Category:Madison County, Arkansas Category:Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metropolitan area Category:Established in 1836